Compatibility

Stories

My Problem

Spilt beer on keyboard. After a dry out period I confirmed that the computer still worked, as did the keyboard, but after a brief warm up period the keys would get sticky and the aroma of the the ale became more evident.

My Fix

Great walk though. I took it all apart the day before it arrived and put it back together the next day.

My Advice

I used masking tape to hold the screws as I removed them. I labeled them first with the step I was on and the size and amount of the screws(ex: step6 10.5 x3, 3.7 x2). This worked out great. Because of this I realize the numbers in step 8 are flip-flopped. There are two 3.5mm Phillips screws and four 3.2mm Phillips screws.

Also of note: the replacement top case came with a new battery connector installed so step 27 was unnecessary. Also, not mentioned in the guide is the removal of the plastic beam that the optical drive, one of the fans and the logic board all connect to - this was needed as it didn't come with the replacement. Also, I used this opportunity to clean out the fans with a q-tip after removing half the cotton.

My Problem

The power button stopped working on my Macbook Pro. I took it to Apple and they told me that most likely it was the upper case but that it they would have to replace several components to guarantee their work. It was way too much money (almost what I had paid for the laptop). I called a authorized repair shop where some negative repair guy told me the price for a replacement upper case but then proceeded to tell me how I wouldn't be able to do it myself.

My Fix

The repair took about an hour and a half. I took things slow. The guide was an amazing help. It broke down the whole process for me.

My Advice

There's a step missing. A center piece where DVDRW is connected, it's a small thin black piece. You need to take it out of the old upper case and put it on the new one otherwise there's nothing holding down the DVRW or the logic board.

My Problem

I decided my Macbook Pro needed a treat so I gave it a glass of wine and poured the whole thing into the keyboard. It most have been dissatisfied with the quality of the red wine as it promptly shut down most of the keyboard and the trackpad.

My Fix

The repair went by without any big problems. The Phillips #00 Screwdriver broke pretty quickly though and I had to borrow another one from my brother. The T6 Torx screwdriver worked like a charm.

UPDATE: For the record iFixit contacted me on Twitter and offered to send a new Phillips #00 Screwdriver. Kudos to them for good service.

My Advice

My Problem

Every few years my dad gets a new Macbook Pro from his work. When this happens, he kindly hands down his old one to me. Just weeks after getting my new (to me) MBP, I came back into my living room from using the restroom to find that my daughter had spilled milk all over my laptop. I was devastated. I immediately turned it off and put it upside down on a towel to let the milk drain out. I left it for a couple days, and it eventually turned on. Only that the keyboard wouldn't work, and it would boot loop every few minutes. This told me that the keyboard was gone (obviously), and that something was wrong with the power button (it was acting like someone was holding it down). This was before I knew the two were connected.

I used the guide on this website to take my MBP apart, and then just took the keyboard out completely. I was able to turn it on with a paperclip by shorting pin 5 on the keyboard connector and a ground plate. But this wasn't a permanent solution. Impressed with my work, my dad offered to buy me a new Upper Case. I couldn't use my old one since I had stripped a bunch of rusted screws detaching the keyboard, and the track-pad started acting weird.

My Fix

Considering this was my first time taking apart a MBP, the repair went pretty flawlessly. The only hurdles I had to overcome were 2 stripped screws and the fact that I accidentally ripped off one of the connectors to the fans from the logic board . One screw holding the plastic casing to the right speaker in. And the other holding in the Mag Safe power connection. After trying every tool I had (including super gluing my screwdriver to the screws), I used my pocket knife to widdle around the plastic to free the speaker, and then just used a Mag Safe connector from an old macbook that my father-in-law had laying around.

And the fan connector... my heart sank into my stomach when it broke off. I knew that I couldn't sodder it back on since the connections are so darn small, so I used the next best thing. Super Glue. And it worked flawlessly.

I certainly wouldn't recommend my methods, but they certainly beat having to buy a $900 logic board just for a fan connector.

My Advice

Don't be scared to get in there and start taking stuff apart. Read as much as you can about what you're doing before you do anything, take your time, and be prepared to exercise some serious patience. But the whole process really wasn't too difficult.

I'm not going to share any pictures because: 1.) I didn't take any, and 2.) they would look just like a brand new 2008 MBP

It's time to speak out for your right to repair

Dear Minnesotans,

Right now, Minnesota has a chance to pass the first Fair Repair bill in the nation.
We have a chance to guarantee our right to repair electronics—like smartphones, computers, and even farm equipment.
We have a chance to help the environment and stand up for local repair jobs—the corner mom-and-pop repair shops that keep getting squeezed out by manufacturers.

We've been working with local repair companies, non-profit refurbishers, and tech-savvy politicians to come up with a solution. And they've done just that — Minnesota is the first state to consider a Fair Repair Bill.

If you agree with us, find out who represents you in the Minnesota House of Representatives.
Tell them you support the bipartisan Fair Repair Bill, HF 1048. Tell them that you believe repair
should be fair, affordable, and accessible.

It's time to speak out for your right to repair

Dear New Yorkers,

Right now, New York has a chance to pass the first Fair Repair bill in
the nation. We have a chance to guarantee our right to repair electronics—like
smartphones, computers, and even farm equipment. We have a chance to help
the environment and stand up for local repair jobs—the corner mom-and-pop
repair shops that keep getting squeezed out by manufacturers.